BOISE, Idaho — The family of an Idaho rancher who was fatally shot by two deputies filed a wrongful-death lawsuit Friday, accusing law enforcement officials of violating federal civil rights during and after shooting.
Jack Yantis, 62, was killed two years ago after one of his 2,500-pound bulls was hit by a car and charged emergency crews on a highway just north of the tiny town of Council in west-central Idaho. Yantis arrived with a rifle just as deputies decided to put down the animal. Authorities have said there was an altercation, and Yantis and two deputies fired their weapons.
“Even assuming for the sake of argument that the deputy had probable cause or reasonable suspicion, the deputy used excessive force to seize Jack,” states the 37-page complaint. “The deputies’ subsequent use of deadly force to kill Jack was intentional, unreasonable, and contrary to clearly established law.”
Yantis’ family filed the complaint in federal court against Adams County, Sheriff Ryan Zollman and former sheriff’s deputies Brian Wood and Cody Roland. The lawsuit alleges nine counts of Fourth Amendment rights violations, including not only wrongful death but also assault and battery and false imprisonment.